Revenge for the Fallen
by Kigaeno Moondancer
Summary: His home destroyed, Kigaeno swore that he would take revenge on all human kind, but will he cause Burmecia more harm? Will Freya, Fratley, and others choose to join him or stand against him? Rated high for sex/gore. Starts pre-game and progresses past.
1. Chapter 1

Kigaeno's Banishment by Kigaeno Moondancer 4 Sept 2004 revised 21 June 2009 for

Place: the Cleyran Tree, Burmecia Date: 12 November 1790 (10 years before game start; 5 years before Fratley leaves Burmecia; 7 years before Freya and Puck leave Burmecia)  
Rating: G Kigaeno Moondancer Cleyra, High Priest Claire, Priestess in Training Freya, Dragoon Trainee Fratley, Dragoon Trainee

The pale faced burmecian stood in front of his high priest, leaning on his staff, youth in his eyes but body looking far older. Overworked, overthought, overstressed; he was certain these people, cleyrans, clueless breathern of his, would be his and their own undoing.

"So then, you would have me leave." Kigaeno stared relentlessly into the eyes of the newly minted High Priest. He had known that this man would not be as willing to allow him to continue his activities here in the tree city of Cleyra, but had somehow hoped against hope for better, "You would have me leave because I have devised the flaw in our defense, the flaw I feel will be one day taken advantage of...Flaws should be plugged."

"Taken advantage of for what? What you're telling us is possible would take someone of extreme power, not to mention a great deal of luck.. and why would anyone attack Cleyra? Even Burmecia is presently at peace." the High Priest shook his head, taking a seat on his temple chair as several of the maidens looked onward nervously.

Kigaeno had been an anomaly since his birth as a Cleyran. While he agreed, for now, that they should not fight unless necessary, he quite simply thought it would one day become very much so. Because of this had continually pointed out flaws in their defenses and attempted to get them to add more aggressive means in case of a real attack. But none of the Cleyrans had left Cleyra, and most people outside didn't even realize where Cleyra was, so to most of them such a thing seemed distant. Having for a short time left Cleyra himself, Kigaeno was now even more compelled to tell them what that they should be doing. He knew it would become critical.

All the High Priest knew was that he couldn't have this sort of attitude damaging the Cleyran culture. Cleyra was a peaceful community based on mutual respect of its inhabitants. It had no real government to speak of, no legal system, and no crime. Of course this made Kigaeno's thoughts seem criminal, since they were the worst the High Priest had encountered. Such distasteful distress over something that might occur centuries hence.

The wind storm that surrounded the giant Cleyran tree on which they lived had endured for centuries without so much as slowing down. His assumption that those outside could stop the wind storm was unthinkable, both in motive and possibility. No one can stop the windstorm from without, and no one could get in without being allowed by those inside.

"I will go, and it is my sincerest wish that I am wrong, even if I am not. If I cannot convince you to plug the holes... then I will find a way to remove those who might pass through them." perhaps he could protect them better from outside, at least it was his best hope. Kigaeno turned, gripping his staff in his left hand, and walked towards the front of the temple, "But if it does come to what I think it will in my lifetime, do not expect me to stay away and leave you on your own folly. I am resigned to fight only when needed, but should something happen to this place... all humans will suffer my vengence."

And with that he passed outside. As he left the temple felt a hand placed on his side, and looked down to see a familiar face, it was Claire, "Are you going now mister?"

"Were you peeping Claire? You know I have to go." his voice immediately became gentle towards her, a soft smile on his tired and wrethed face. Kigaeno knelt to the child and patted her head, "but you know I will miss you and everyone else here. Perhaps you most of all, my one promising student."

"I believe you." Claire's belief had always given him some sort of hope that the next generation of Cleyrans might be more sensible, but she was just a child. Perhaps his apparent influence on their children was one thing that caused the new High Priest to be so adamant about making him leave, "I could go with you."

"You cannot. I must go alone, but I promise I will come back if there is trouble." he could not take her with him, not yet. She deserved to grow up in peace before being used for war.

"You'll save us if the bad people come?"

"I will try my best. Please don't worry, I could just as easily be wrong. You should go practice your harp. And remember what I said about your magic; one day I may have need of it for more aggressive purposes."

Reluctantly the child turned away and walked off, believing, yet still oblivious to the true nature of the threat they might face if the wind storm could successfully be un summoned. Vowing that it would never come to that, Kigaeno stood, and walked over the exit.

Kigaeno fell to the desert sand on the outside of the wind storm. It was insane. The fierce storm was almost impossible to traverse even when they had 'allowed' him passage through it; he was a near waste on the other side. He could see how they would put their raw faith in such a thing, but the mere fact that it could be slowed and traversed meant that there was a danger.

Even so, as he lay on his hands and knees and watched blood drool from between his mottled white and green fur, he wondered if his paranoia was worth being separated from them. They were fools, he knew, but he loved every last one of them.

And that was why he couldn't let his separation be for nothing. He had to grow stronger; he had to be ready to defend them with his very soul if they were ever in danger. Standing, he drew from his bag the last 3 hi potions he had and taking the energy from their use, he staggered forward towards Burmecia.

Sand and biting winds eventually turned to the grassy wet plains of Burmecia. The rain felt oddly good against him, and he even let down his hood to let it soak into his fur. Such a beautiful shadowy sky, only matched by the beauty of the city up ahead as he approached. Artistry and architechture that mere humans could never muster. Even it, snuggled safely against the mountain and well defended, might not be safe forever, but he felt somewhat more secure knowing that any enemy that wanted to touch Cleyra would have to go through Burmecia to get to them.

But the future was uncertain, and he could not chance it. Once he had supplies from here, he would retreat to his mountain overlook to prepare, and began his journeys in search of ways to defend his kind.

It didn't take him long to acquire what he needed. Mostly potions and medicines to replace those he had, since the shopkeeper in Cleyra had refused to sell him anything. It felt painful to have to resort to their supposably less civilized sister city to get what he needed. Shamed, he would not admit to anyone there where he was from.

He would have to get more gil in some other way, it should be easy enough to acquire from monsters and the like. He turned to go, taking a last look at the beautiful statues and ornate walls of the relatively peaceful city. Yet were they setting themselves up for a fall by being stagnant?

He stopped in front of what appeared to be a training center, where his eyes caught a young female recruit dressed in red, with the symbols of a dragoon in training on her. From the time he had spent there before he knew that such a thing was rare, and he stopped and nodded to her. So few were aspiring to be the best of the best now, it seemed.

She curtsied politely, and was quickly distracted by a slightly older male recruit who called for her. He called her by the name 'Freya', an interesting name. He hoped she would grow to be prepared for what he was preparing for.

And with this he walked from the city, not even resting at the inn before continuing. 


	2. Chapter 2

Face Unforgotten by Kigaeno Moondancer 10 Sept 2004 revised 21 June 2009 for

Place: Burmecia Date: 17 March 1795 and 1797 (5 years and 3 years before game)  
Rating: PG-13 Characters: Dan, soldier Fratley Irontail, dragoon Freya Crescent, dragoon Puck Burmecia, Prince

"You should not leave here. Not alone. I should go with you." Freya looked over Fratley, meager pack on his back and lance in hand, ready to leave Burmecia on his mission.

"You know we can't go together. This city needs protectors as well while I am gone." Fratley looked back at his love with a twinge of pity and sadness, but mostly love. He would miss her too, but he couldn't bring himself to put the younger dragoon in the danger he was going to be in, promising though she was.

"I don't understand.. I don't know why you even think there is a danger. We've been at peace with Alexandria for years.. and Lindblum would come to our aid if they suddenly attacked." Freya shook her head, trying not to seem too emotional, but not doing a very good job at it, "This General, can she be that dangerous? Beatrix?"

"Yes... Beatrix." Fratley looked downward thoughtfully, finding it increasingly hard to make eye contact with her as it was nearing his time to leave, "I hear there are many fierce warriors out in the world - some more powerful than even I... ... Beatrix of Alexandria, in particular. They say her swordsmanship is the best in the land." he had no intention of not being ready if she ever came here. His country came first.

Freya looked downward as well, in silence a few moments, "Sir Fratley, do you still insist on going on your journey?" her words trembled. One last time, she had to ask him to stay.

"Yes... please understand Freya." he wished he could get her to understand, "Right now, Burmecia is at peace, while other nations are slowly but surely gaining power. I don't know if my spear alone is enough to protect Burmecia..." he tightened his grip on his weapon and looked at it thoughtfully, "... which is precisely why I must go out into the world."

"Sir Fratley ...I don't think I can live on my own - not without you." she was finally reduced to begging, and sniffled the tears back between words.

"Freya, you're going to be fine." he looked into her eyes assuredly,"Trust your strength... and have faith in your destiny. Once I complete my journey around the world, I will return to Burmecia."

"Then promise me, one more time, that you will return."

"I promise." with those two words he was gone. Freya fell to a kneel as he walked away, and stared at the ornate pavement next to the fountain through foggy eyes. This was so sudden for her. Did he really love her if he could leave her like this? Would he find someone else? Would he forget her?

She stood, putting such mad thoughts from her mind, and raised a hand to dry her eyes.

"Are you cwying?" a shrill voice came from behind her, and she turned to see the very young Prince, "Wat's wong?"

"Prince Puck! You shouldn't be out here alone. You have to stop wandering off from the palace." she dried her eyes quickly, and leaned over to pick him up off the ground, carrying him slowly to towards the royal palace. The standard inept palace guards would get a speaking to for this, for certain.

But then again, Puck was dangerously sneaky for his age, it probably couldn't be helped. To think that someone this slippery would one day be King. Yet that wasn't her concern.

"Wat's wong?" he repeated his question, and she realized that she was not going to successfully avoid it.

"Sir Fratley had to go for a while." she tried to keep it simple, "I will miss him."

"When will he be back?"

"When he is finished. It could be months. I'm just.."

"He's stwong."

"Yes I know, highness, but I cannot help but be afraid of not seeing him again."

"I make sure you do."

Freya couldn't help but giggle at the child's assertion that there was something he could do to make certain of it, and it was rewarded by Puck's devious young smile. She doubted he could do anything, but she didn't doubt he would try his best. Perhaps he wouldn't be such a bad King one day after all.

-  
2 Years Later ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freya sat there, alone. Sitting on the walls of the city, she looked outwards towards the South. Fratley had walked that way, and every person she saw coming from a distance, she held a meager hope. Was it him?

Yet it never was. Two years ago today he had left, headed out on his mission around the world, promising that he would return. She had expected him to be gone months, not years. And now the news had come. News had arrived that he had died. No specifics, just that he was killed while completing his mission.

"Fratley..." she spoke quietly to herself as she stared into the distance, "You never came back... You've left me with nothing except rumors of your death. I can't believe it! I won't believe it! Never. Not until I witness proof of your death with my own eyes." she stood, "And I will travel across the world forever if I must."

"Freya.." Dan walked up on her as she now stood on the wall. Gods, she looked like she was going to do something drastic. She'd been more and more like this as time progressed, "Where have you been Freya. You're suppose to be on duty."

"My duties here mean nothing, its pointless." her words almost shocked him, yet he realized he shouldn't find it surprising at all.

"Freya..." he watched her eye the horizon and somehow knew, "If you leave, they'll not allow you to return. .."

No answer, so he continued, "Freya! You are the most promising dragon knight among us, one of the few, you're power will one day rival that of Fratley's, perhaps more. You can't give this up to face a hopeless dream."

She shook her head at her well meaning friend, "Dan. That is so easy for you to say. You have Learie. You have your children Adam and Jack. You have love and family. I have nothing."

"Freya... " he sought to understand. How could she still feel so strong for one person that she was willing to ruin her life over it. He understood she was in pain, but if anyone would get through it was her, "There will be others for you to love.. you.. " he sighed, knowing he may have very well ended up with her himself had she not been waiting for Fratley, "you could have any male in Burmecia that you wanted."

"I don't want any male. I want Fratley." with that she was gone, and he knew there was no point in chasing after her. Taking a seat, he stared off into the distance watching her leap away. What a reckless girl.

"Dan!" the voice of Prince Puck loomed behind him as the young prince ran across the wall and arrived too late to speak to Freya, "Where's she go?"

"You shouldn't be... " he stopped himself before pointing out the obvious fact that Prince Puck should not be outside the palace, sighing. They'd be getting in trouble again for letting him get out. Sigh, "She has left to look for Fratley."

"I thought you said he's dead?" Puck scratched his head.

"I did. But she doesn't believe me."

Puck hmmm-ed as Dan nonchalantly picked him up and leapt off the wall into the town. Maybe returning the Prince, again, would lighten his treatment after bringing news that Freya had suddenly ran off for no logical reason.

Puck was almost too deep in thought to mind, almost, "Hey! You're in my space bubble!" his wriggling brought no response aside from a sigh. Dan would be off duty in an hour, and wanted to go home and see his own, slightly better behaved children.

Puck finally settled down as he was placed on the ground and escorted by another guard towards his room, as Dan went towards the throne room. He had always promised Freya that he'd help get her back with Fratley one day, and to him it was more than a childish promise. He'd give her some time to return, but if she didn't in a few weeks, he knew he had to go off to find her.

And why not? Burmecia was the most boring place on the world to be right now. He had no desire to be King of such a place one day without at least being able to go out and find some things on his own. He smiled to himself as the devious plans rolled through his mind. 


	3. Chapter 3

**The Forgotten Returns** by Blayze Kohime 5 Sept 2004 revised 21 June 2009

Place: Kigaeno's Mountain Hideout and the Cleyran Tree  
Date 4 January 1799 (about a year before game start) and 23 January 1800 (the day Cleyra is destroyed)  
Characters:  
Adam, Burmecian Child  
Burmecia, King  
Claire, Moon Maiden  
Cleyra, High Priest  
Fratley Irontail, Sir  
Jack, Burmecian Child  
Kigaeno Moondancer  
Learie, Burmecian Refugee  
Mogu, Kigaeno's apprentice  
Puck Burmecia, Prince  
Satrea, Sand Oracle  
Shannon, Water Maiden  
Sharon, Flower Maiden  
Wylan, Tree Oracle

"Mogu..." Kigaeno looked over his apprentice, sitting cross legged at his feet. The short mole-like creature had been with him for a long time, ever since he'd found him living near Mount Gulug during his travels, "How long have you been my apprentice?"

"Near 6 years master. Ever since you found me." Mogu spoke to him with respect, and with good reason. no one else would have taken the creature in, and the little one was likely the last of his own race. This was a feature that Kigaeno hoped to never have in common with him, "Yet... This is my first time seeing your homeland."

"You have yet to see Cleyra. It puts even Burmecia to shame." yet to say so was pointless. Kigaeno was no longer allowed to be there, and Mogu knew this as well.

"What would you have us do now Master?" Mogu clinked his claws together idly, looking off into the distance instead of at his Master. Across the way he could see Burmecia from where their house stood; Cleyra was on the other side of the mountain and out of view from them.

"We must prepare. The rumors we heard in Alexandria cannot be nothing. We must find a way to strike first."

"The summonings?" Mogu almost drooled as he spoke, but caught himself. Mustn't seem to eager in front of Master.

"Cleyrans can summon, this much we know. The wind storm and tree itself are just summon spells; the only problem is that both of those require multiple individuals and elaborate rituals. But, if I am correct that the wind storm could be stopped.." he knew that one day he may be the only hope for Cleyra. Would he ever have enough power to actually restart a stopped storm on his own accord? Perhaps.

"You need minions."

"What's that?"

"Eccentric clothing, odd laughter, you got all the workings for it, but you need minions."

Kigaeno smiled at his apprentice, "I'll have to settle for you for the time being. Soon enough the Cleyrans will flock behind me for protection."

- A year later ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Impossible. Insane. How could Burmecia have fallen so quickly. No one was safe now, and he couldn't believe that Cleyra would be able to fend off such an enemy. Summoning all the energy he could muster, he raced towards Cleyra on his chocobo. The windstorm?

Gods he hated being right sometime. Kigaeno saw nothing but the bare tree as he approached. The wind storm had completely vanished. Not even he had believed it could be done so quickly. He had to act quickly as well.

Arriving some distance away at the base of the tree, he saw ships in the air above it, and soldiers at the base. He was too late. He had to act now. Hopping off the chocobo, he sent it away, and looked up at the tree.

Wind swirled around him as he chanted, gusting upward and pushing him up off the ground, sending him directly towards the top of the tree. It wasn't nearly as fast as he'd like, and required an exorbitant amount of concentration, but he had to get there before _they_ did. How dare they attack this sacred place! What on Gaia was that wench thinking!

She would pay. They would all pay. But first, his people must survive whether they wanted his help or not.

* * *

Claire silently slinked through the passages of the tree. Had the others escaped? Would Freya and her friends be there to help? All she knew is that she had seen them go down the tree, and they needed to be called back up. But she had never been down the trunk, and was hopelessly loss. If only her old mentor was here...

Tears streaking down her face, her fear finally over came her and she huddled down into the sand sobbing, louder than she intended to and almost forgetting her own welfare as she thought about what must be going on at the top.

"You rat!" it was a single Alexandria soldier. Only one? She had expected to see droves, but even one made her heart sink into terror, and the female soldier drew her sword.

Reacting only by screeching and crawling backwards, she shortly realized that she had just crawled backwards off a ledge, tumbling backwards. The soldier only let out an amused laugh, and walked back up towards the city.

* * *

Arriving at top, Kigaeno was immediately met by several creatures. These were the soldiers they were using then? This must be why they so quickly overcame Burmecia. Landing directly in front of the black mage soldiers, he held out a single hand, sending a wall of fire into them with a single Firaga spell and watching them fall, inanimate, their dark visage now smoldering. Cheap copies of the real thing. What were they? It didn't matter to him.

As he hurried towards the temple, he noticed that oddly enough, many of the mages seemed to be leaving and the city seemed rather empty. Off in the distance as he ran forward, he watched what looked like a red coated dragoon and a human piggy back on the teleport disks of several of the mages, as if they were trying to follow them.

He silently wished them luck, and wondered if it was over. But as the sky darkened overhead, he knew it wasn't. That bitch. Hadn't she done enough?

* * *

Claire landed on the sand below with a thud and a squeak, rolling onto her back and was relatively uninjured, at least in the physical sense. Her psychological state was something of a different story, and she did the only thing she felt capable of at the moment. She ran, as fast as she could, towards the bottom of the tree. Luckily for her, her route seemed to be different than that of the soldiers, and she found herself exiting the tree on the opposite side as the normal entrance.

Standing in the remnants of the once swirling sand storm with tears streaking down her face still, she knew nothing else to do than to walk out into the desert, not knowing where she would go and having never left the tree before.

* * *

"I don't have time for this shit! You know good and well I had nothing to do with this!" Kigaeno couldn't believe that even now the High Priest was unwilling to take help, "You are not safe here! I was right before, you can't deny it, now you have to trust me to be right again."

Without listening to the High Priests further statements, he began to chant. Static built around him, a shield of mana blocking the priest as he stepped forward to try to stop the crazed Kigaeno, "You are only here to harm us! And now you cast a spell to finish us off!" the accusative tone annoyed him, but it would not break his concentration.

Kigaeno rightly counted on them to be too non violent or just confused to take significant steps to stop him, and a minute later a portal opened to his mountain retreat. It had taken him ages to successfully develop this spell, and it had finally come to use as he opened it directly next to the Cleyran Harp.

"Take the portal and save yourself Priest, do it now! Everyone! We could be all that's left!"

The Burmecian King was the last to hesitate in such a situation, and likewise he was the first to go through, followed by a female burmecian refugee, Learie, and two children that were apparently hers, Jack and Adam. She had to literally drag them through, the children screaming for their father.

"I swear on the honor of this place.." Kigaeno looked at the other Cleyrans, "I have never lied to you Priest, and you know this. I will bring you back here once this is over, but now this place is not safe."

Sharon and Shannon, the two maidens that were present in the temple, were half way through the portal before he finished speaking, and the two surviving oracles Wylan and Satrea were quickly behind. Reluctantly, the Priest followed.

Kigaeno snarled to himself angrily. How could this be happening. Grabbing the cleyran harp in both hands, he shoved it over into the portal, feeling hands grab it from the other side and pull as he shoved it all the way through. He was the last one through the portal; no one else alive were left atop the tree.

* * *

Energy surged from behind Claire. A noise that rang out, deafening her for a moment as a wave of hot air hit her from behind and threw her forward. The enemies had done the unthinkable by using a summoning spell to destroy the tree, and she was barely out of range of a lethal blast. Tumbling to the sand, she lay for what seemed like forever.

The world around her faded for a while, her world crushed, her mind broken and unable to function. Finally a hand shook her from above and she blinked back to awareness. It was a burmecian child she had seen earlier that day, "Get up!"

"I-I can't.." she sobbed to herself, determined, only to find a second individual picking her up off the ground.

"This is the only one I can find, the others are surely all taken. Perhaps even ..." Fratley didn't want to think about Freya being killed. He didn't even know why as he didn't really even know who she was with the loss of his memory. It was too painful to think of right now, "We have to get this girl somewhere safe Lord Puck."

"Then comeon! I found a chocobo that we can put her on. We'll head for one of the villages." Puck yanked out a potion of his own and spread it over Claire, but it didn't seem to do a lot of good. Most of the damage was her emotional shock.

Likewise, Fratley casts a quick Reis' Wind spell on her to regenerate, but he knew she wasn't likely to be fully cognizant for some time. He carefully placed her on the chocobo, picking up Puck and placing him behind her, "Please hold her still Lord Puck, I will walk ahead."

He took a deep breath, and buried his raging emotions beneath his rigid exterior as they walked. Even if he didn't know who these people were, he could tell that they didn't deserve this. Beatrix would pay. Queen Brahne would pay. All human kind would pay.

Was it his fault? Had he stayed up there could he have stopped this from happening? Or would he have been struck down just as easily. The least he could have done is die with his supposed King; he couldn't shake this emotions from his mind.

"Freya.. where are you? ...who were you? Why do I care?"

* * *

Kigaeno felt the blast of energy behind him in the portal as searing flames leapt out from behind him, searing the back of his coat with flame and ash. "I.. just got this coat too.."

Turning quickly, he raised a hand and shut the portal, even as he felt the flames sear at his hands, skin feeling as if it might boil. What on Gaia had she done.

As the portal closed, he fell to his knees and forward, not hitting the floor only because of the patting of multiple hands and objects, smothing the flames upon him. Learie grabbed his arm and barely kept him from falling once the flames were out.

"Medicine now! You there, can't you heal?" Learie's eyes shot towards the Cleyrans, and Wylan came forward putting her hands on the ragged black mage Kigaeno.

"I'm fin... " gods he knew he wasn't fine, and felt himself being dragged over to what he barely recognized as his beds, the maidens shoving the books off of it, evidence that Kigaeno almost never slept. He looked at the ones who helped him, blurry, almost unable to make out their identities, "Please don't leave this place.. I have to keep you safe."

His words were pointless, as if he could keep anyone safe right now, but at least he knew he was in good hands. Still, the King Burmecia spoke up, "He's right. They think we're all dead. We have to stay here until we're certain of what to do next."

Kigaeno smiled. Someone appreciated him. Someone actually followed his advice. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he somehow felt pleased with himself and for a moment, his rage subsided into dreams of Cleyra, of what he had shared there and of his longing to be there once again. He knew he would rebuild Cleyra.. oh yes... in the most ironic way possible.


	4. Chapter 4

**Treefall and Face Forgotten** by Kigaeno Moondancer 12 Sept 2004 revised 21 June 2009

Place: CleyraDate: 23 January 1800 (Day of the attack on Cleyra)

Characters:  
Burmecia, King  
Cleyra, High Priest  
Fratley Irontail, dragoon  
Freya Crescent, dragoon  
Learie, burmecian refugee  
Adam and Jack, Learie's children  
Puck Burmecia, Prince  
Shannon and Sharon, Maidens  
Wylan and Satrea, Oracles  
Quina, .. something  
Vivi, black mage  
Zidane, hero type  
Beatrix, Alexandrian general  
Brahne, Alexandrian Queen

(This is based on part of the game, thus it is full of spoilers. And it has a bad ending, because I can't change what happened in the game, or don't want to right now.)

"I failed Burmecia... but I won't fail Cleyra, no matter what..." Freya's promise rang into her own ears as another Alexandria fell to her spear. Fodder. What on Gaia were they thinking sending such weak forces up the tree? Could they have underestimated even Cleyra?

Waiiit.

"A moment Zidane." she turned to Zidane who was by her side, their friends Quina and Vivi stopping behind them and both looking confused in their own special ways, "Those Alexandrian villains back there... Weren't they too few in number to constitute a determined attack?"

"Well.." Zidane was never one to put strategic thinking into things, his first intuition were to just scream 'wipe em out', but he thought better of it, "Yeah, I thought so, too."

"Bingo!" Pucks voice suddenly rang out behind them, the little prince running down the tree, and right into Vivi, nearly falling over trying to stop himself. No time to fuss at him now though, "Freya! The town's in trouble! Ya gotta come back, please!"

"No! My fears were true! At once my lord!" her movement back up the tree was nearly too fast for the others to catch where she'd gone. Puck was right behind her.

"C'mon you deadweights! Hustle!" Puck's words snapped the others out of their astonishment at having fell for this, and they ran back up the tree shortly behind Freya.

Freya's teeth clenched, hand gripping her spear to the point that it felt like her fingers might bleed. She had to save these people. They were all so innocent; the Cleyrans didn't even know how to fight real battles. The town didn't even have any weapons or armor.

* * *

Upon arriving up the stares to the top of the huge tree that Cleyra was located atop, the first thing they met was the mognet moogle fleeing down the tree, followed by two of the maidens, Sharon and Shannon, who saw the group and immediately came to a stop.

"Please save us!" Sharon nearly clung to Zidane making him unconsciously take a step back.

"The town is full of demons!" Shannon motioned franticly towards the upper portions of town in the direction of the temple, looking at Freya in particular pleadingly. The look cut deeply into Freya and she was speechless. These people looked at them to save the city; would they be enough?

"Are there really that many?!" Zidane asked the question with the obvious answer. Freya gave him an 'of course there are' look.

"They just keep coming." Sharon looked like she might curl up and sob. She had never even witnessed violence before, and suddenly she was being exposed to watching her friends be butchered or burned to a crisp.

Suddenly a light floated in behind the two maidens. A teleportation spell? The mages were teleported in? That didn't seem possible, no wonder there were already so many of them, they were being portaled directly into the city. The maidens wasted no words before getting behind the team of fighters, and they found the heros' drawn weapons aiming at two of the dark black mage golems used by the enemies.

No words were wasted a second time on the opponents, and in a flash Zidane's dagger and Freya's lance sliced through one almost simultaneously, the almost bloodless body ripped into shreds even as a spell from the second one sent a bolt of electrical energy arching through all four companions.

A shout from their own black mage Vivi pierced the battle field as he struck back with his own bolt spell causing the remaining mage to quiver from the jolt, shortly before finding itself on the pointy end of Quina's rather unique forkish weapon.

Vivi couldn't stand this. He couldn't stand the fact that these mage dolls were doing all this. He couldn't stand it even more so that he looked just like them and used all the same attacks. He wondered if that made him a monster too.

There wasn't long for wondering, as three Alexandrian soldiers came up the tree, chasing the poor maidens back to the other side of the group. This seemed to be getting repetitive fast.

"Foolish Cleyrans, your time has come!" were the first and last words heard from the soldier in front.

"Over here! I'm the one you want!" their words had filled Zidane with a rage on par with even Freya's. Zidane may have been a criminal, but even he would not tolerate the harming of innocents, even more so when they were the people of one of his best friends.

Freya was gone from beside him in a flash as she jumped into the air, and Zidane charged forward quickly matched by Quina. A wave of freezing energy went over their head, lashing into the enemies from Vivi's hands, as the soldiers on both ends found their now freezing body lashed into by bladed weapons. The third managed to graze hairs off Zidane's head in a near miss, only to be wailing in pain seconds later as she was ran through with the flying spear from Freya.

Freya landed, and they all reformed keeping their bloody weapons drawn, only two find another two mages facing them as Sharon and Shannon ran back up into the town. Would they be ok? There was no time to think, until moments later two more black mages lay dead... or whatever it was when the monsters ceased to be animate, on the ground.

"Ha! They got nothin' on me!" Zidane's eyes went to the town as he spoke, "But the town's in trouble!"

* * *

Zidane took the lead into the city and the others followed behind him keeping a sharp eye out. They had no idea what they were suppose to do, but they had no intention of doing nothing. Arriving up one set of wide stairs, the oracles Wylan and Satrea were frantically looking for a place to hide.

"Enemies are on their way up! How about your side?" Zidane knew the answer, but somehow he hoped he'd be wrong.

He wasn't,"The Burmecians are fighting back, but the demons keep coming..." Wylan shook her head in disbelief at everything happening.

"We fled, unable to resist any longer..." Satrea seemed equally hopeless.

"Damn those Alexandrians!" Zidane had never had an extreme liking for them, being from Lindblum himself, but even he hadn't thought they were capable of all this.

"What are we to do..? " the oracles pleaded and he had to make a decision, now.

"We're out of time!" another statement of the obvious by Zidane, "Let's go right!" the oracles followed his suggestion without question, running upwards through the village.

The oracles ran past Learie as she held close to her two children. She saw them running and expected the next thing to come over the stairs to be enemies, but it wasn't, it was Zidane and his group.

Throughout all this though, Learie could only think of one thing, Dan, "Excuse me... have you seen my husband?"

"No, I sure haven't." Zidane answered and shook his head, stopping briefly and looking around for more enemies.

"Daddy's gone!" the children sobbed, making Freya especially grit her teeth further. How many children had been made fatherless and motherless by these people. What were they thinking?

"It's too dangerous here! Let's go left." He pointed them up and left through the city, and Learie yanked her children after her holding one little hand in each of hers. No sooner than they were out of sight did two Alexandrian soldiers and a black mage run up from another direction, ready to fight, ready to slaughter even the children like sheep. Ready to die with the group they had just challenged.

"You won't get by me!" Zidane and Freya instinctively placed themselves between the opponents and where the family of burmecians had ran, and charged into them.

The mage was already dead on the ground before contact was even made, victim to their own angry black mage's fire, but not before he spread his own flames over their group. Freya fended off one of the soldiers as the fire caught her off guard, and spun around to slice across their throat to fell them, ducking the spray of blood that followed. She turned to see that Zidane was having similar luck. They were all exhausted.

Quina stood staring off at something shi had found. Had shi even noticed the battle. Snapping to cognizance, Quina offered the others a drink of potion to get them on their feet, and hopped forward up the stairs with a grim smile. Was that thing ever 'not' happy?

They arrived at the next level of the city together to find Learie and her children again. Freya remembered the names now, Jack and Adam. She had known Dan and his wife in Burmecia, the children were only infants then. Now they were old enough to talk, as well as flee in terror, apparently.

"Hurry tell us!" Jack spoke followed by his brother Adam, "Which way now?"

"Let's see." Zidane wasn't entirely comfortable with being looked at for these decisions. He was only choosing at random after all, "Cross the bridge!"

The refugees crossed the rickety bridge that led from one large branch of the tree to another safely, but from the other side three more Alexandrian soldiers approached.

"Persistent bastards!" Zidane wondered exactly how many they had to kill before the soldiers would learn who not to attack. These soldiers certainly wouldn't be learning anything, and less than a minute later they lay charred and hacked beside the bodies of some of the cleyran civilians that had already fallen. He knew this couldn't go on much longer "We can't hold them off forever!

"Are we safe now?" the children spoke as the group once again caught up with them, "No more monsters?"

"Hmmm..." Zidane wanted to comfort the children, but wanted to put them in danger even less, "We're not safe yet... So stay alert for more!"

"No!" the children were dragged further up towards the temple by their frantic mother.

The next ones they met were Shannon and Sharon, at the ledge of one of the branches where a gazebo had been placed to view the sandstorm, when it was still there at least. Apparently they had escaped the fate of so many other so far, but Zidane didn't understand what they were doing here, "Huh? What are you guys doing here?"

"We like this place very much." Shannon was not herself at all, tears streaked down her face and the psychological damage could literally be seen eating into her.

"Even though we have lost the soul-soothing view of the sandstorm..." Sharon wasn't faring much better.

"Yeah, I think its pretty, to." Zidane sighed, "This whole town is pretty. And everyone here is so nice." he looked at them in earnest, "That's why I wanna protect you! C'mon, let's head to the cathedral, We can make our stand there!"

Yet when they arrived at the cathedral, the only ones say saw gathered in front was the two maidens and two oracles, as well as Learie and her children.

"So, these are the only survivors..." Zidane probably shouldn't have said this out loud, because it drove most of those present further into panic.

"Where's the high priest?" "Where is the king?" "Where's dad?" "Waaa!"

"I hope they're all safe inside the cathedral..." Zidane tried to calm them down, "Alright, everyone inside!"

Before they could move into the cathedral, they suddenly found more mages transporting in. Great. Blocking off all three exits for the civilians.

"They're back!" Zidane couldn't believe they thought they needed to send another wave, "Over there!" too many to face. They were all so exhausted, "Dammit, we're surrounded! Dammit! I can't save them all!"

Nothing could be more frustrating for Zidane than to choose one innocent over another, but the mages were approaching, murmuring their insane babble about existing to kill.

"Minions of evil, you have gone too far!" the voice rang out from above. Freya was the first to look up, just in time to see the dragoon warrior on top of the cathedral draw his weapon, "My spear will purge this land of you!"

With blazing speed, the spear lunged into one of the pair of mages, impaling one effortlessly as the other fell back confused. Landing next to a second group and blocking their advance, he sent a searing bend of energy from a Dragon's Breath spell at the third, who fell smoldering to the ground.

"You will fall like the wind under the force of my blade!" Barely flinching as he was battered with the elemental attacks of the mages behind him, the dragoon leapt over to retrieve his spear, taking only seconds to cleave the mage nearest it before leaping back towards the other pair. All in all, 6 mages lay dead before the party even had time to react to help him, "Now run!"

The others were inside almost immediately, and Zidane followed him waving to the stranger, "Dunno who you are, but I owe you one!"

Fratley filed the statement away for later, and with a quick motion he was inside after them closing the doors behind.

* * *

"Sir Fratley, I..." who the stranger was hit Freya like a brick. Could this be the one she had been searching for three years? Who she hadn't seen in five? Now? "I have missed you so much..." the others stood, equally dumbfounded as she spoke.

"I began my search for you immediately after you left Burmecia." a gross exaggeration on her part, but she wasn't thinking clearly,"Where have you been all these years...? To what corners of the world have you traveled? My dear Fratley..." she looked into his eyes and stepped closer, "I climbed the highest mountains only to hear rumors of your victories... I searched the deepest valleys only to find your footsteps, but I never found you. And in the end, I heard something... Something unbearable!"

"Freya, you say?" Fratley tilted his head as if looking at her for the first time ever,"I believe this is the first time we have met..."

"What... did you just say?" the second realization sank into her deeper than any Alexandrian blade could have sank. He.. had forgotten her?

"I'm sorry," she shook his head, "but I cannot remember you for the life of me..." he looked at the strange person who moments ago had been reciting poetry to him. It was a practiced speech, he could tell. Not something you do on a whim to someone you don't know, but... he really didn't remember her.

"Y-you jest!" Freya became frantic, "You cannot have forgotten me! It's me, Freya! Freya of Burmecia!"

"I am sorry..." Fratley shook his head again and felt something not unlike shame, as he turned away and stepped towards the balcony of the temple. He didn't even remember Burmecia or Cleyra. He felt like this was the first time he'd been here.

"No..."

Zidane watched the tears well in his friend Freya's eyes as her despair ran deeper, and he couldn't hold it, "Hey, wait a minute! You can't be serious! It's Freya, your lost love! How could you forget her!? Well, say something!" Fratley was silent, confused.

"That is enough, Zidane..." Freya knew he was trying to help, but this wouldn't

"What?" Zidane turned to his hurting friend, "You've been searching for this guy for years, and now he's right here!"

"Fratley," the Burmecian King stepped up behind them. He had been consulting with the High Priest when people had begun entering, "Do you remember me, the King of Burmecia?"

"Not at all, I'm afraid."

"Impossible! Have you forgotten everything that has passed!?" the King began to realize how pointless it had been to send Fratley on his mission those years ago, but this didn't add up at all "Then let me ask you this: What brought you back to Burmecia? Is it because you learned of the crisis here in Cleyra, whose people are our brothers?"

"As a matter of fact.."

"As a matter of fact, I'll tell ya!" Fratley's words were cut off as Puck flew in the front of the room, huffing and puffing from exhaustion trying to run around and get as many of the Cleyrans hidden or out as possible.

"Lord Puck!" "Prince Puck!" "Puck!" everyone spoke in unison. This kid knew how to pop in unannounced.

"I found Fratley during my travels around the world!" Puck's words were interesting, but certainly vague enough, "And you guessed it, he didn't know who I was! Or even who he was! But when Burmecia was attacked and he heard that Cleyra was in danger... his faint memories as a dragon knight called him back here!"

"Dragon knight..." the only words clear inside his mind, "Yes, I was once called that... But now, that is all I can remember."

"Fratley..." Freya's teary eyes melted into him as she spoke. What was it about this girl. He had no idea who the hell she was yet he couldn't keep his mind off of her all of the sudden. Those hurting eyes, she loved him. There was no doubt of that in his mind, and that speech. She must have taken days to memorize it and kept it in her mind for when she found him. He felt himself almost go dizzy. Emotions swelled. Where did they come from? This made no sense! He couldn't stand it, why did he have sudden feelings for someone he knew nothing about! "I must go." He was gone in an instant out the front.

"Freya, aren't you gonna follow him?" Zidane had enough experience with life to know why Fratley felt he suddenly had to leave. Maybe if she went with him...

"No.. I am happy simply knowing that Sir Fratley still lives." tears rolled down her face still; to be forgotten was worse than death.

Puck felt as if he had betrayed her. He had spent so much time trying to make this work as he'd promised his friend Freya so many years ago,"I'm sorry Freya. I knew you weren't ready to see him, but with Cleyra under attack and all..."

Freya cut her prince off," I need no such courteousy, Highness." Despite his continuing tendency to run off, Puck had matured, and she felt proud of her prince underneath her despair.

"Uh... well, I'm gonna go after Fratley!" and he was gone as well; he had no intention of not fulfilling his promise to his favorite dragoon, "Later!"

Vivi was ran into again by the retreating Puck and fell on his bum yet again, as him and Quina entered into the room from where they had been comforting the refugees. At least Vivi had been comforting them, Quina had been looking for food and just happened to be there.

"Wait, Puck! I have not seen you in ages!" the King wondered if he'd done something wrong to deserve to shifty a successor.

"Wh-what? that was Puck?" Vivi had been looking to talk to him ever since realizing he was in Cleyra, but so far the only interaction he'd had was getting ran into every time Puck appeared,"So, what happened?"

The black mages eyes fell on Freya, who's head was bowed trying to hold back tears, "What's the matter, Freya? Are you crying?" he hoped it was nothing he'd done. He was extremely self conscious about himself.

"Ahahaha!" was she laughing? "What irony. To find the man about whom I have dreamt endlessly... only to discover that he cannot even remember who I am!"

There was no time for this, she knew it, "Come, Zidane! The enemy's hand has not been stilled! We must regroup!" Suddenly it was duty first for Freya again. Such a sharp contrast from when Zidane had first met her.

"Freya..." Zidane silently stared, not knowing what to do or say.

"Eek!" the High Priest's voice rang out suddenly from the opposite side of the room, breaking them all away from one situation to find another. Beatrix. She was here, at the harp, having snuck in through a window, and had her sword pointed downward at the helpless priest, "Have mercy!"

"Hmph! Pathetic rodents!" Beatrix hated this duty. These creature were not even worth fighting, and certainly not worth killing. How did they end up with such a treasure? "You fail to grasp the true power of the jewel!"

Her sword went up, quickly clipping the encrusted jewel from its place on the magic cleyran harp, and it landed in her opposite hand flawlessly.

"Our magic stone!" it was the last thing the priest expected her to do.

"Now that I have this jewel, I am through with your city!" Beatrix ran out of the door ahead of everyone. There was no point in fighting those inside though she knew they were no match for her, and she wasn't entirely comfortable with being ordered to attack a seemingly helpless city. Not because she cared for them, but because it wasn't much of a challenge.

"Wait!" Zidane was enraged, what the hell was this woman thinking?

"Halt, villain!" Freya's emotions joined together into something not even she could describe, as the group of four ran out the front after the general.

* * *

"Think you can get away?" Zidane's words as the group met Beatrix in front of the temple were meaningless to her. She had already embarrassed them at Burmecia once, and considered herself merciful for running with the jewel.

"Get away?" she laughed out loud," You're a bigger fool than I imagined... Have you forgotten how badly I beat you back in Burmecia?"

"So you are more the fool for not finishing what you started!" brave yet somehow foolish words from Freya. Yet she would rather die defending this place than let Beatrix get away.

"You're gonna pay!" even Vivi was enraged, ready to avenge everyone that those of his own kind had killed at Alexandria's order.

"I find no tasties in this town, so we cook you for breakfast!" Quina's vocal was somewhat less serious sounding, but it did the best it could. Mmmmm, Alexandrian stew. It pondered what ingredients it'd need.

Beatrix shook her head, "Then allow me to shatter your delusions of grandeur."

Four against one. Chances were good right? All the four knew that they weren't, and with weapons drawn the three charged forward as Vivi chanted slow to try to give them a fighting chance against her before the inevitable.

Dodging Zidane's knives without thinking and glancing away Quina's fork weapon with her shield, she fended Freya's spear with her sword and cracked her in the head with the hilt of it, sending her to the ground for a few seconds. This was too easy; she considered not trying so hard to make it more of a challenge, then decided against it.

Freya flew into a rage, emotions surging as she went into trance, and took a leap into the air, hovering there and sending shards of energy down at Beatrix as the other warriors charged with weapons drawn once again. The feel of poison filled Beatrix as Vivi spread a Bio spell over her, and both her enemies weapons clinked against her armor barely scratching her. She brought her sword back ignoring the semblance of pain that she felt bringing it around to clip Quina and cause Zidane to back up to readjust his stance.

Despite the hits, she was nearly unapproachable. They just weren't doing enough damage even with Freya in trance, and as Freya landed and fell out of her attack, Beatrix was still standing as if not hit at all, barely hurt as her opponents heaved from exhaustion.

"No more games." Beatrix knew she had to go now. Her queen was waiting, after all, even if she was a disgusting queen that Beatrix hated following she was queen nonetheless.

Drawing her sword up and taking a short jump forward, energy sheered out as she used her Stock Break technique on them, and a second later they each fell to the ground on hands and knees nearly unconscious. The same technique that had defeated them in Burmecia had the same result.

"She-she's too powerful.."

"Black mages, our work here is done. Commence withdrawal immediately!" Beatrix shouted out loud. A nearby black mage activated it's teleportation, and she leapt into the aura round it, catching herself inside the spell and traveling back up to the airship with the mage.

"Why, they disappeared," Zidane tried to stand weakly, then drank a potion, "What now Freya?"

"Good question..." for once she didn't have advice, as she made sure all her friends took potions, "Zidane! Look out behind you!"

He turned to see another black mage. But it wasn't coming for them, it was forming a teleportation spell like the other had. He ran towards the mage.

"There! I'm gonna follow 'em!" he ran into the ball and was sucked into the spell as Beatrix had, "Everyone follow me!" he hoped they'd end up where Beatrix went, as little good as it'd do..

"Zidane! He's gone!" Vivi stood up as well, looking as if he didn't know what to do.

Freya looked down at the one mage that she fought beside against all the other mages, "I highly doubt I will ever return to this place.. Besides, this may be your last chance to find the truth about who you are..." or what he was, "Come, Vivi! Show us your courage!" With this Freya leapt into another black mage's teleport spell, and was gone as well.

"Oh no... Freya's gone too!" desperately, Vivi followed suit hoping it wasn't the wrong decision.

"I no like heights." there was no way Quina was going to try that. Shi ran towards the entrance as fast as she could to get down the tree the old fashioned way.

* * *

High above Cleyra, safe on her airship, Queen Brahne held the dark matter that Kuja had given her, supposedly an eidolon, a summoning spell extracted from Princess Garnet.

"It's time..." her grotesque face gleamed, "With this Dark Matter, I now hold the power to summon an eidolon. Now, I'll find out if Kuja's claims are true. Odin, come to me!"

Darkness. The sky opened, and the horrible horseback Odin flew threw the sky right at Cleyra as the wicked queen marveled. Seconds later, Odin let out a burst of energy from his spear splintering into the tree and shattering buildings and branches, spreading a fireball over the city that seemed to consume it further even after the horrible summoning had disappeared. Brahne was shocked... yet so delighted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Temporary Company** by Blayze Kohime 6 Sept 2004, revised 21 June 2009

Place: a Burmecian village

Date: 24 January 1800 (the day after Cleyra is destroyed)  
**Adult** Fratley x Claire, explicit sex

Claire, Priestess  
Fratley, Dragoon  
Puck Burmecia, Prince

Claire sat up in bed, shaking violently. Physically, she was completely undamaged other than a few scrapes and bruises, but psychologically was quite a different story. She looked to the side of where she lay. It appeared to be a common small room in a fairly poor looking house, "W-w-whe.."

"We're in a village on the outskirts of Burmecia, maiden." Fratley placed a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her, "Most of the residents have fled into hiding, but the enemies appear to have already been here, so shouldn't be returning."

That was his kind way of putting it. They had arrived to find that the village had been destroyed, most of the building burned. There was a pile of at least a hundred dead burmecians piled in what used to be the center of town. Many burned, many cut into pieces, far more damage than was needed to kill them in cases, as if done in pure spite. More bodies were scattered about, and in the houses that remained there had been even more, with few Alexandrian corpses in comparison, since this hadn't exactly been a well defended area. Some of them had even been striped as if the soldiers took the time to rape them; it seemed that Beatrix's all female forces were trying to keep up with the stereotype held of male soldiers.

"It will be okay." Fratley reiterated, carefully hiding the rage that he was feeling for Claire's sake.

"There was a child with you, he is ok? Were there others?" Claire's mind flooded with what had been happening, turning to the dragoon that had apparently saved her.

"Lord Puck is quite well, thankfully. I spent last night looking for survivors so he is doing so today. There was a small group of civilian residents from Cleyra we found last night,. The Oracle Kildea had led them out, and she said she was going to take them to Daguerro. I told her I would get you there as well if you wanted." he sat on the edge of her bed.

"This is horrible. This can't have happened." she sat up beside him and wiped tears from her eyes. There were so many people there. How many of her friends had died? She didn't even know where she was or who this was she was with, "My name is Claire."

"You must not dwell on it. Rather on what can be done. Be strong for your people." of course Fratley's idea about what was to be done was to go smite the ingrates on their way out, but he knew a cleyran would never go for that, "I am told that I am Fratley." he worded it well, since he was unable to recall more than the last few years that he had traveled with Puck, "The child I travel with is Lord Puck." Puck had told Fratley that it was 'Prince Puck' but Fratley didn't know if he quite believed him yet.

* * *

Puck arrived back into town after several hours of unsuccessful searching, his mouth covered with a cloth to hold out the stench of rotting burmecians. There was nothing for him left in this place, not for a while at least. He wanted to go back to Alexandria, even if they'd just attacked his people, since that was where he was use to living, and just maybe he would be safe there. Or maybe he could just tell the people what their soldiers had done. Now that his father was presumed dead they would want him to be King here, and he didn't know if he could handle that responsibility.

Fratley met him at the door to the small house and opened it for him to come inside, "Lord Puck, I found food in the house. Claire is awake and eating now, but has been mostly silent."

"Didn't find anyone else alive, I think I'm going back towards Alexandria."

"But Lord.."

"Aw don't give me crap. I'm tired and want to go see what's going on. no one knows who I am there so maybe I can find stuff out."

"Very well. But I must defy you in this and stay here in Burmecia. It is my place as a knight of the kingdom to defend it." Fratley didn't know why he felt like this, but it was the only faint memory that he had. He had to defend this place.

Puck looked over at Claire who was silently listening to them, pretending that she wasn't as she ate. The food was decent, as good as they could have hoped to find at the dwelling of a dead poor family.

"I'm going now.." Puck turned and without another word was gone. He never was one to give people time to say goodbye. Fratley sighed, and turned back to Claire.

"I apologize my lady, but we have found none others." he spoke in his stereotypically knightish fashion, "But I swear I will defend those that remain from evil."

When she looked at him silently he continued, "You are best to stay at the first inhabited city we find maiden Claire, I do not believe they will come this way again, and I am certain I can find someone to take care of you again."

"We didn't believe they would come Cleyra's way.."

Fratley shook his head, feeling as if there was something he needed to remember, "I will stay here the night, then I will continue to Burmecia and the Grotto to make certain no enemy soldiers remain there. I will leave you at the first safe place we find, but I will return for you, I promise." Had he made that promise to someone before? He couldn't remember.

* * *

Claire sat on the edge of the bed, now in the next village over, tears streaming down her face anew thinking of everything that had happened. The knight had been kind to her, introducing her to people in the village that would care for her, and doing so much more than she felt she deserved. He had even purchased her new cloths, since dressing like a shrine maiden seemed rather out of place here not to mention was getting her stares. She was now dressing common pants and shirt, her dirty and damaged shrine cloths boxed up in the corner of her room. They had eaten well once they arrived, probably better than the townsfolk due to Fratley's status as hero to them, though he did not understand why.

It was her fault, she just knew it. The strings on her harp had broken during the ritual and the wind storm had stopped immediately afterwards. Had it been something she had done? Kigaeno told her to practice her magic offensively, but she hadn't as much as she could have,

She shifted as she realized that someone had sat beside her, not even having seen them come in. It was Fratley again. He had left his hat and coat at the door, and it was probably the first time she'd had a clear view of his face.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, and stopped. It wasn't easy for him to deal with emotional types. The response to his silence was for her to lay her head on his shoulder and began to outright sob, which made him even more uncomfortable, though the feel of her arms around his waist as she obsessively clung to him wasn't entirely unpleasant.

"Claire.." he took a deep breath and put an arm around her shoulders and another around her belly, "Please try .." he wasn't sure what to ask her to try to do, so he just held her close to him. His mind went back to Freya for a moment, and wondered if she'd died at Cleyra or escaped like the others. He still didn't remember who she was, and he hoped he wouldn't if she was indeed no longer alive.

"You lost someone too?" she recognized the concern in his eyes, even if he didn't, "Someone close to you?"

"That I do not know." he would leave it at that, and his words sounded as if they did not want to be questioned.

She pulled him closer, "If you need comfort.." She had no idea why that came out, but being around the soldier was so different than what she was used to and it seemed to bring something out of her. None of the males in Cleyra were like him. They were all nice, but none of them made her actually feel physically safe as he did, because none of them knew how to fight. She found her fingers feeling over his frame as if comparing his muscular form to that which she was more use to.

Fratley's entire body became still for a moment as if being defensive, but then he took a deep breath and relaxed. He had no reason to take insult by this, but didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of her in her present mentality of needing protected, "There is no need for you to do anything special for .."

His words were broken by her muzzle as it met his turning to the side and working his maw open with her teeth, giving him a brief kiss and licking over his lips. She knew she shouldn't try, but she felt like she needed this to feel safe and to forget for at least a while, and he would be gone tomorrow. She may never even see him again, so she didn't think it could hurt.

His instinctual response was to press back into the motions, and he didn't resist this, squeezing her close as he did so and returning the affection with his tongue over the right side of her face. It'd been a while for him, and he didn't feel like taking the effort to resist one so fair as her. Deciding that speaking wasn't the best thing to do at the moment, he pulled away briefly and went to the room door, closing it even though he didn't expect anyone else to be in the house, and making a glance at the window to determine that they weren't easily visible from it.

When he turned back towards, it was a bit surprising to see his maiden 'friend' was already removing her new shirt and tossing it to the side. She was visibly breathing heavily as she looked up at him, watching him stand still there and blushing as if wondering if she had taken things too quickly. A smile from him confirmed that she hadn't, and she looked at him with near hunger. His look at her wasn't far off.

"It is important to me.." he spoke one last time, "That we remain friends, I can't commit.." he removed his shirt as he spoke, and stepped forward towards the bed as he undid his pants, which had begun feeling increasingly tight on him as his mood increased.

"I understand." she knew Burmecians weren't usually quite so casual about things as Cleyrans, and that he might take it to be more than it was. Either way she was happy that was cleared up, and wasted no time removing her pants, growing slightly frustrated at herself as her feet claws got caught on the cheap material and took some work to get off.

He watched as the remainder of her cloths quickly abandoned her form, and his eyes grazed over her obscenely soft body. Being a warrior he might have preferred someone with more physical strength or tone, but her body certainly wasn't lacking even slightly in any other way. She had breasts that looked perfectly fitted for a hand to grasps, and hips that seemed ideal for grabbing, holding down, and thrusting against. He felt little guilt as he pulled his own pants and underclothes down and stepped out of them, crawling up onto the foot of the bed and nearing her.

She watched him approach her, and crawled up onto the bed to face him, realizing fully that her tongue was lolled out of the side of her maw and not really bothering to contain herself as she stuffed her previous stresses to the back of her mind. His body was like a work of art to her eyes. She'd never seen someone that looked so strong, and she couldn't help but wonder about the fact that he was a professional dragoon. Someone that could jump the height of buildings must have excessively strong hindquarters.

Their noses met and their long tongues slipped out against one another simultaneously and Claire wasted no time before shoving her head below his chin and pressing down beneath his body. The fur on her head felt like silk beneath him as it moved down his chest and belly before stopping, her head just far enough away from his maleness that he could feel the warmth of her breath against his bare flesh.

She inhaled his clean scent deeply and enjoyed it for a moment. She was certainly no stranger to this, as innocent as an exterior as she normally showed, and her lips immediately slipped over his tip and down his formidable length, carefully withdrawing her teeth and oozing her tongue and gums over his skin causing him to shiver above her, half closing his eyes and giving a short appreciative groan. Her tongue undulated over his shaft in a perfect rhythm, driving him from semi-hard to rock solid in an instant. It seemed certain now that what he had heard about shrine maidens was true, that 'maiden' wasn't a very good descriptive word for them.

Not wanting to leave her out of the process, he worked his arms around her lower portions and moved her over to her side. To his delight her hips moved with is motions, and she was flexible enough to turn her body completely around. Seeing that she seemed completely comfortable this way, he moved his own muzzle down and ran his tongue across her soft and increasingly damp nether parts, rubbing his chin into her clit and easily eliciting a returning groan from her as his tongue made its way between her delicious folds.

For the next few minutes the otherwise quite room was filled with moist sounds as they enthusiastically pleasured one another. Their species certainly had no problems with this sort of activity, their muzzles and unusually long tongues seeming obscenely useful. Claire's muzzle moved steadily over Fratley's cock, lubricating with her saliva as she moved wetly over him. As her nose bumped against his belly, she slipped his tip into her throat, using it to pull his tip in and massage over it, milking him firmly. His own tongue moved deeply inside of her, pressing her folds apart as he massaged them with his hands, exploring her tunnel as his muzzle pressed against it, feeling as if he would pop inside.

Moans and squeaks were exchanged, each sound sending shivers of pleasure through the other's body. Ultimately, Fratley felt Claire's muzzle pull away from his throbbing member, a string of fluid pulling out from her maw to his tip as she drew her face away, and he followed by pulling his own gooey maw away from her slit, somewhat disappointed at the sudden end, his equipment throbbing in protest as a drop of fluid streamed down the edge.

Their bodies drew up to face one another as previously and their lips met, eagerly exchanging the tastes, scooping back and forth as their tongues played together, muzzles locked in a perfect fit. Hiking her tail upward, Claire pulled away and turned around, body heaving with excitement and fur becoming increasingly damp with sweat as she turned her perfect rump up to him and offered herself fully, recklessly, to the male she had only met days earlier.

He growled softly as he grabbed her hips in his claws, digging them into her fur, enough to get her to squeak from it but not enough to break the skin. He had already grown fond of hearing that squeak from her and found himself wanting to hear it more. His muscles clenched and he pulled her back across the bed towards him, wrinkling the blankets further and laying his dripping cock against her posterior, resting it between her cheeks and letting her feel it throb longingly before pulling it downward and facing his tip against her sopping wet pussy.

In a moment of clarity, Fratley leaned forward and licked at the back of her head, panting out his words, "I.. don't want to be irresponsible and.." he thought about moving his target up to an entrance that wasn't impregnable, only to have her body follow his and keep him aimed squarely at the drooling female orifice.

"Don't you dare stop..." her voice begged him. In her case it wasn't that she was willing to take a chance, but that her body was screaming to be impregnated by this male that had saved her. It was like seeing most of her people killed had tugged on her instinct to make more of her kind and left it unbearable, "Fuck me... Breed me..." the words out of the usually innocent looking girl could have been considered shocking were the male in a less wound up mood.

Fratley certainly wasn't going to say no, and in his present state he barely could, body seeming to shiver in delight at the request as his mind slipped back into a less clear state. Slipping inside of her with a wet slurp sound, he nearly bit his tongue at the warm wet feel of her insides massaging over his penetrating length. He didn't wait to make sure she was comfortable before hilting it quickly inside her. He was rewarded with another sharp squeak from her as she gripped the sheets in all fours, saliva and various other fluids dribbling from her muzzle and eyes rolling to the back of her head as she felt him began to thrust repeatedly into her. Moving his arms around her, he gripped into her belly with his right claw as his left moved to massage her clit in time with his motions, which drove her even further into her delightful near comatose state of mind. For a moment the room around both of them seemed to blur to nonexistence, and for that time they were only conscious of one another as their body slapped together wetly.

The sound of wet fur slapping together competed with the strained sound of the bed squeaking as they continued for as long as they could possible contain themselves, not wanting to give up possibly the only moment they'd have together like this until they had to. During this Claire lost count of how many times he put her over the edge, her screams growing louder with each consecutive experience, the connection between them drooling down both their thighs, dripping from his balls onto the bed as they swung from his movements.

Finally he was equally unable to hold himself, his hips tensing up as he slammed his hips against her a few more times. He gripped her breasts, squeezing them as he rammed himself hard, though his motions became somewhat reluctant when he realized he was about to go off, and thought about pulling out. Her tail wound around his belly tightly, tugging against him as he felt her orgasmic voice grace his ears, "Don't dare pull out!"

He slammed solidly into her again, his shaft throbbing as he carelessly allowed his fertile load to coat the insides of her pulsing tunnel. He cried out against the back of her head, making her ears ring for a moment as she pressed her hips firmly back against him, legs spread and body taking in all the seed she could. He began to thrust again, packing the spunk deeper into her with his motions even as her tunnel milked his shaft pulling his sperm deeper inside, both sending them within on their mission.

Movements slowly went to a halt, and their bodies lay against each other, her rump snuggling and happily wriggling against his belly. Breathing heavily against her, his arms went around to grab hold of both of her breasts again, enjoying either of them as she lay beneath him, both equally sated and forgetful of their problems.

"T-thank you.." she was finally the first to speak, and he nodded his face against the back of her neck as he gave her a slow affectionate lick.

Moving slowly from atop her, his shaft tugging from inside her with a low slurp that made them both shiver, he lay himself beside her. She turned to face him and he snuggled her close, pulling her head against his chest and allowing her to drift into sleep against him. He massaged her head and back gently, and gave a last sigh before trying to slip into sleep himself. He didn't mean to have done that, but there was no point stressing her out by worrying about it now. He knew he didn't really have feelings for her, and felt that for some reason he'd never be able to do such. Something in the back of his head, something to do with that other he had met in Cleyra. Pushing aside any lingering guilt for now, he drifted off to sleep with his temporary lover.


	6. Chapter 6

**One Hundred and One** by Blayze Kohime 8 Sept 2004 revised 25 July 2009

(Leave me comments, I wants them.)

Place: North Gate  
Date: 5 February 1800 (right after Brahne dies and Garnet assumes the leadership of Alexandria)  
**Adult** for gore and violence  
Characters:  
Fratley Irontail, dragoon  
random Alexandrian soldiers

Run. Run. Run. Fratley had spent the time since his departure from the small village traveling from town to town after finding Burmecia deserted of both enemy and friendly soldiers. What he had found, and what he had heard, angered him above all else. Even if he had no memory of this place, what was happening here was wrong, something that he believed he would fight against no matter who it was occuring to. From what he could piece together groups of Alexandrian troops had actually been ordered to seek out the small villages and slaughter all the Burmecians they could. The one village that he and Claire had found in tact was simply lucky to be out of the way. This was more than a war to Queen Brahne, it was genocide; if she wasn't stopped it could mean the end of his race.

But now they retreated, as suddenly as they came, the soldiers were retreating. Why? He knew that the Queen would not have had a change of heart, and he had trouble understanding why, but didn't care. Some enemy soldiers had gotten so far as North Gate on their movement back towards Alexandria, the air fleet too busy to carry them all. The passage between Alexandria and Burmecia, the place where the attack had begun. If he could help it not a one would get further.

Nearing the gate, he didn't even slow down in his run. The gate was open, maybe they had just went through. His weapon was drawn, folding out to its full length, nearly longer than he was tall, the blade of his spear gleaming in the dim light of sunset, then as night fell his form was almost completely hidden.

The first four Alexandrian guards he met, who were walking back towards the gate as if returning from patrol, laughing and jesting. He heard them speak of the murder of a family in front of their mother, and his rage burned to the point that his mind was nearly gone. His focus perfect, he gripped the weapon, wielding the impoosible lance with one hand as he came upon them.

Quietening, the guards turned almost simultaneously at the faint patter of approaching feet behind them, just in time to see his glowing eyes glare at them and his lance come across their field of vision. The nearest guard barely felt it as the blade ripped across her jugular, almost trying to speak. No words came out, only a fountain of blood which sprayed across her comrads as she turned towards them, a sickening gag the last sound she made before tumbling to the ground, her head bent backwards as her blood soaked into the ground.

"One." he spoke briefly and then with a flash was gone. The other two guards looked dumbfounded, stunned, at least for a moment. Then a twinge of tactical recognition stuck one of them.

"He jumped!" the guard yelled out, drawing her weapon upwards, quickly followed by the others and looking up just in time for one of them to watch a spear flung out of nowhere and impale them perfectly to the ground, end still jutting out of her shattered face as her corpse still stood up, hanging on the spear as it stuck in the ground beneath her. Her body twitched, organs spilling out her torn gut where the weapon had chosen its exit, drooling downward to the tip.

"Two." Fratley landed, a look of horrifying calm on his face as he took hold of the middle of his spear through the warrior's gut and ripped it out, sending her body into chunks around him. The spear moved in front of him in perfect time to block both oncoming swords from the two remaining guards, clanging against the gore dripping weapon. Impossible, how could anyone be that fast? A wicked grin spread over his face as he reckognized the words in their shocked expression. With a sharp glare, he flung his spear around, the blade slicing right through the chest of a third guard, parting the army with insane ease and leaving her to scream as she futilely attempted to scoop her guts back up off the ground. Her dieing wails would draw other soldiers. But he didn't care.

Burmecia beaten by an army of these creatures? Female soldiers at that? It was insane; he had to find their leader, Beatrix, the only one of them worth his time. Their entire nation would pay until they were groveling at his feet, and this time there would be no stopping him. This time? Had he done this before? He couldn't remember.

"W-wait... we've been ordered to retreat! There's no need to fight us!" even as she attempted another advance, his spear easily parrying it aside, looping and disarming the sword from her as it flew to the ground behind him.

"Fool. You think such a thing erases your deeds? My people cry from the beyond for your deaths." He brought his weapon around to lander her on the ground with a swift blunt end to her kneecaps. Aiming the spear at her throat, he looked for a moment as if he might spare her. Only a moment. The next moment she had his weapon driving right between her eyes and out the back of her head into the ground, gray matter blending in to the gore already coating his weapon.

Propping a foot against the sticky corpse, he pried his weapon free, "Four." In a blur, he was gone even as another pair of guards ran from the gate to meet this sudden threat, certain that it must be an entire battalion from the screams of horror they heard piercing the night.

* * *

Why couldn't he have been here? Why did he have to show up after everything was gone. Frustration and anger welled inside of him. At himself. "Ten." At these soldiers. "Fifteen." Blood seemed to fall like rain everywhere he went, none of these toy soldiers were able to touch him. No wonder they never tried to face Burmecia until they had back up from the mages.

His mind went back to General Beatrix. The one he had been looking for since the first Alexandrian soldier he met long ago. They had bragged how their general had killed a hundred of his soldiers in a single battle. One hundred senseless lives lost to their greed. "Twenty." If only he'd been there. He could have stopped her, he knew it. Or could he have? It certainly wouldn't have been easy. His perfect match. He was meant for her in battle the same way he was meant for Freya in love.

His mind was tormented. This place he didn't even know, that he had no memory of, yet even so he had unknowingly betrayed it by not being here at its most needful moment.

"Twenty-five." The souls of Burmecia and Cleyra would not rest, they would not stop tormenting his mind until every invader lay dead. Until Beatrix herself was on the ground begging for his mercy, "Thirty." Another soldier lay dead, in two halves at his feet, actually causing the next soldier to vomit in her helmet. He smirked as she hurriedly raised her visor, his blade screaming across to leave a bloody fountain where her head once was.

The gate was clear. There had almost been no one here, and he hadn't even gotten to a third of her record. Pathetic. Why were they running? Had Queen Brahne really told them to retreat just as they were doing so well? Or had he had more of an effect by slaughtering random straggling soldiers than he had anticipated. Doubtful at best.

His eyes glinted from atop the wall as a group of soldiers ran from the distant encampment towards the gate. Ten of them? Good. He hadn't taken on that many at once before though, it could be a strain. Or at this rate it could be like slicing bread.

He fumbled through his bag and retrieved yet another high potion. It shouldn't be too bad. After all, he'd not used any of his magic as of yet. These creatures weren't even worth such a thing unless in large numbers. Pathetic monkeys. Without their black mage minions they wouldn't have even made it past this gate.

For that matter, where were the black mage minions? He hadn't fought a single one since the battle at Cleyra. Perhaps they were elsewhere. He'd heard they were attacking Burmecia's ally Lindblum as well, though the humans there weren't likely getting the same treatment that the 'rats' were getting. He found his anger turning towards them as well somehow. Could they one day be a threat? One threat at a time.

They were close enough. Damnit, there was another group behind them.

He didn't care. Bracing himself, he took a jump, aiming his spear for what looked like the commander of the first group as they hadn't even noticed his rapid movements. He watched with grim delight as the spear impaled through her back, severing her spine and knocking the other soldiers back from their dead leader with the sheer force of the blow knocked the other soldiers back. He landed, ripping the spear from his prey, and turned towards the others. He was a sight to behold by now, his outfit was going to need a real cleaning. He looked almost like a monster, fangs gleaming in orgasmic delight at the heat of battle.

"Thirty-two."

Drawn swords flailed, and he felt his skin burn as he was bombarded with magic and steel. His voice rose into a chant, magical words spoken with extreme hate, burning fear into the very souls of his surprised victims. As he unleashed the Dragon's Breath, he was surrounded by energy as they were drawn back. Searing magical energy sliced into the remaining soldiers. Flesh literally boiled from their body, a symphony of screams to his ears as their corpses fell one after another. But fuck... that took a lot of magic power to cast. He wouldn't be able to do it more than one more and a second group was already approaching.

"Damnit! Give me time to count!"

The next group was even larger than this one. Twelve? No, fifteen. This was absurd, though there must be a great deal of honor to be worth this much effort, "I will not rest... I will not stop."

Energy surged from his fingers, fur shown with an unnaturally bright light, and he felt the power crackling through his body. He glowed as his body crackled with energy, a trance taking hold of him. In a flash he was again gone, jumping high over the new group of soldiers. Readying his spear, he didn't throw. Instead they found themselves bombarded with bolts of magical rage as they rained down on the entire group like a flurry of spears. Voices screamed, limbs departed their owner, and his enemies came apart with such vigor that it would surely make them difficult to count.

Realizing they couldn't combat him until he came down, several soldiers turned tail and ran, only to find him before them again as they limped away. Trance exhausted, he stood directly in front of the fleeing soldiers, "I will not be denied my legend evil doers." A few moments later, another two Alexandrian scum lay soulless on the ground, and he paused a moment to count. "Fifty-five."

* * *

The remaining encampment was alarmed rapidly, and there was the general perception that they were being attacked by many more troops than the one that was hewing them down so effortlessly. Panicked and moving from structure to structure in their temporary encampment, they searched for any sign of the one or ones that was doing this. Their only rewards for their searches was finding bodies strewn about from time to time as they were picked off. Sixty. Seventy. Eighty. None of them were found simply dead. These bodies were catastrophically damaged.

He may not have accomplished his goal at all if not for the fact that they had too many guards down to properly guard their supplies, and he spent at least half an hour in one supply room with potions and ethers to get his energy back. Eighty-Five. He was so close.

Still he continued on, and eventually the soldiers resorted to an outright retreat, forgetting their camp entirely, yet he seemed to find enough on their way out. One hundred.

Two more now lay before him. One, legs maimed beyond repair and sobbing in pain. The second, against the wall with his spear tip to her throat. Before them was Fratley, holding the weapon with blood drenched hands, eyes glaring menacingly into them.

"Do you know what, Alexandrian scum? I'm at one hundred... do you know what that means?" he didn't smile, didn't show a hint of enjoyment, yet it must have been immensely pleasing to him.

No answer. She was deathly afraid of him. Disgusting. With a twirl and sudden movement, he impaled her injured friend.

"One hundred and one." he spoke to the still trembling final soldier, "I want you to go back, and tell your General Beatrix of this. I want her to know that her bragging rights are now mine, and I want her to know,... that I will one day come for her and her Queen Brahne. Even if our governments were to make peace, I will still come for her. Her family. Her friends."

"Th-the... Queen Brahne is dead... Garnet will be queen..." the answer came out in sputters.

He brought his spear back up, his grin fading slightly, "I see. Pity me with an explanation, if you will."

"Queen Brahne was killed by Kuja, Garnet is going to assume the throne, she ordered us to retreat from here in peace... don't you see what you've done?"

"No, pity me again."

"We were retreating! Your nation was safe."

"Well then, now it is more safe." he pulled his weapon back again, "Go. Do not allow me to see another of your kind within my borders....  
...and if you see Freya tell her 'hi' for me."

As the bloody burmecian turned and calmly hopped away, the soldier broke back down into sobs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Refugees** by Blayze Kohime 5 Sept 2004 revised 25 July 2009

Place: Kigaeno's Mountain Hideout Date: 23 January 1800 then 11 February 1800

**Adult**: Kigaeno x Mogu (last half)

Characters:  
Cleyra, High Priest  
Kigaeno Moondancer  
Mogu, Kigaeno's apprentice  
Sharon, Flower Maiden  
Wylan, Tree Oracle

Kigaeno slipped to consciousness as he was placed on the bed, listening to the voices. Were they the voices in his head again? No, these were real voices. Then who were they?

"Why would he? Why would he not have anything to do with us only to nearly die trying to save us later?"

"He would do anything, just to seem right! He was the one that knew how to stop the sandstorm! Who else could have figured it out!" the

High Priest; Kigaeno needed no effort to place that voice. Were he not inclined to let his own kind live, the High Priest would have been the first on his list. The fool that let them in.

A third older female voice, "Silence all of you. There are more important things at stake, like survival."

He felt himself passing out once again, almost taking a moment to grin. Would he wake again? Would one of them kill him in his sleep? Where was that damned apprentice who should be protecting him.

"I won't hear any more of this! We need a place to sleep!" Wylan tried not to sound angry, feeling that she had to keep her composure for the sake of the others, "Where is the mole thing that lives here too?"

* * *

"Cut the mole crap, you don't hear me calling you rats do you?" Mogu shook his head from where he stood at the front door and waved his overly large claws over his short stature as if to emphasize.

"Of course. I apologize. You live here with Kigaeno?" Wylan looked self conscious now. She wasn't use to dealing with outsiders.

"I'm his apprentice, and very proud to be so. And I will not listen to your insane accusations against the man that just saved you from the same fate as my people." his yellow eyes glared at the High Priest, and he turned to walk outside, "Follow. Now. Important."

Wylan did, and he led her outside of the house where the others had taken. As there attention turned to him he sighed. It wasn't his intention to be in charge, and Kigaeno had only had time to briefly go over things with him before he hurriedly left for Cleyra to find potential 'refugees'. It was so annoying.

"Ahem, well." he raised a claw up to point another structure, then stopped to sigh when his claw made one of the children cringe, "That structure is food storage, but it won't last too long. I can show you where we can get vegetation further down the mountain, and I can hunt for some meat. I don't think we should venture far until Master awakens, we don't know if the villages on the outskirts are safe or not."

"LISTEN!" Most of the maidens had started looking about or getting distracted by flowers on the edge of the building. He was frustrated by how easily they were distracted, and he was sure at least half of them still didn't believe him when he said he was an adult due to the stature of his race. He supposed they weren't use to being in an ordered environment, or around anyone but their own kind, "I'm going to show everyone around, you can sleep in the house if you want but don't touch any of the experiments. Dangerous. Otherwise I'll help make you tents and if you want to help we can dig out some cave places." this was going to get annoying fast; he hoped his master would awaken.

* * *

Kigaeno blinked awake. How long had it been? Days? Weeks? His blurry vision cleared slowly, trying to recall the time since he had left Cleyra once again. It was all a blur, flashes of being taken care of. It was shameful to him; here he was, the savior of his people, being taken care of like a wounded animal.

"You're awake." it was one of the cleyran oracles who he had rescued, sitting silently beside him as if to watch over him, "You've been awake more, you seem to be recovering."

"I am.. I will never.. who are you?" he put his hands on his face as if to check if he still had feeling. Immediately the rage returned. That horrible person. She would die. She would meet with a fate worse than anything she could imagine; he would make sure of it. But no, he had to worry about these people first, "and how many?"

"I am the oracle Wylan, please be still. There are 11 of us here including yourself and your apprentice that was already here when we arrived."  
"How is food holding up?"

"We have been living off of plants that grow down the mountain and Mogu and the King go out to hunt. I apologize but most of your food store is now gone."

"Is it crowded? We need more structures. What about little Claire, did she make it?" he knew Claire wouldn't be little any more, but he had desperately wanted to find her and get her out, and he didn't know if she was one of the maidens that had came through or not.

"Please stop worrying Kigaeno."

"You remember my name... I am..." Kigaeno knew that it was likely for his infamy, not because they liked him.

"Many of us do." Wylan didn't seem especially opposed to him, perhaps they would soften towards him now that he had proven himself, but he wished he hadn't had to.

* * *

As he faded back into his rest, Wylan rose from her seat, passing her watch over him to Sharon and stepping outside of the room, into the main area of Kigaeno's study. Most of those rescued had been sleeping in make shift tents outside, as even those who had respect for Kigaeno didn't feel comfortable in most of his house. There were too many experiments and such that looked as if they might be dangerous if disturbed. Being told "Don't touch that, it will turn you inside out." had that effect on people. Only Mogu would venture too deeply into the structure and never talked about what he was doing there.

"He's holding up, he'll be out of bed within the next few days." she spoke to Mogu, who she almost tripped over where he was standing with his arms folded.

"As soon as he's up we need to check out the base of the mountain and go into the Vube desert. We need to go see what the damage was." he secretly hoped they'd meet resistance. He hadn't gotten a chance to show his stuff against sentient opponents. Somehow a grin spread across his muzzle, and he walked off to check on the others.

* * *

"I'm here Master, are you awake?" Mogu's voice caused Kigaeno to open his eyes, and he looked around the room to see if anyone else was there. Mogu tilted his head to the side, "You are well? Can I get my Master anything?"

"I feel better. We should be able to make the rounds tomorrow. We'll see what's going on and what we can do." Kigaeno was embarrassed that it had taken him so long to recover, and he still didn't fully know how long it'd been. He was almost afraid to ask. Still, he felt much better having been around a bit and been able to clean himself up "Mogu.."

"They are ready." Mogu's eyes followed his Master's face as Kigaeno sat up in the bed, "I whipped em into shape"

"Did you... well I am ready; in fact I think we can go today if they are ready. I feel... blood thirsty."

Mogu grinned to himself at his Master's words, "Well you know I always am.. but..." he looked a great deal more serious, "You always call yourself evil Master, but what you did for these... for your people. It was the bravest thing I could imagine. You saved them just as you saved me."

"Oh don't be mushy, it doesn't suit you. At least follow it up with a cackle." Kigaeno found himself smirk, and pushed his own emotion to the side. Feeling something other than rage wasn't entirely comfortable for him.

Still, Kigaeno looked downward at his apprentice and wrapped an arm around him, suddenly pulling him close. The smaller mage always seemed to melt when they were alone, not like his pointedly individualistic behavior when others were around. Mogu's small arms went around him, clenching him with his jagged clawed hands. Kigaeno flinched a bit, but seemed used to the closeness, even leaning to nuzzle against the top of Mogu's head. "I was so worried Master. You were hurt bad." Mogu didn't want to cry, it would make him seem weak, and he wanted to be powerful and aggressive like Kigaeno. He wanted to be his number one minion. It wasn't so easy. He turned his head up and placed a kiss on the tip of Kigaeno's muzzle, "I love you Master. Please.. "

Mogu wanted to go on a spew about how these people weren't worth his time, how they under appreciated his efforts. He had sat and listened to them make assumptions and accusations at Kigaeno, at him, and at each other for the past few weeks. Especially the high priest. So selfish, he couldn't for once admit that he had been wrong to banish Kigaeno, and in that it was indirectly this 'high' priest's fault that Cleyra had been destroyed. Mogu knew Kigaeno could have done something about it had he been there.

Yet, at the same time, had he never been banished Kigaeno may have never happened upon him, so maybe Mogu owed the High Priest indirectly as well. Perhaps it was fate. And he knew Kigaeno wouldn't listen to such things. To Kigaeno protecting his kind from threats both real and imagined was everything. He was knocked out of his thinking when Kigaeno's right hand snuggled around to his rump and gave it a pat, and he reached his head up and ran his tongue down his Master's chin before fumbling his claws to carefully unlatch Kigaeno's pants under the covers.

"I figured you would do that. Mm." a better man might have avoided taking advantage of Mogu's vulnerability. But Kigaeno was not a better man, and only hesitated because there were sharp digging claws in close proximity to his better bits. He moved his own hands down to help, lest he end up missing something he needs later.

"I missed you Master." those were the only words Mogu let him have before slipping his head beneath the covers and nosing at Kigaeno's now open crotch, inhaling deeply at the semi hard thickness before running his rubbery tongue over the length. Kigaeno rolled his eyes back, relaxing, and his left hand went to Mogu's head encouragingly. His other went beneath him to undo Mogu's robes, feeling further down the coarse fur below until he arrived at Mogu's sheath.

Feeling himself being felt up, Mogu pulled his legs apart slightly and allowed Kigaeno access, taking the hand on his head as a cue and slipped the now hard cleyran maleness between his lips, sliding over the shape , down across his tongue and the roof of his mouth, and into the back of his throat. Kigaeno flinched for a different reason now, and let out a relieved sigh. After going a while without he was especially sensitive.

"Y- mmmmm You locked the door?" Kigaeno wanted to make sure, but Mogu shook his head slightly as he continued to work his muzzle over and down the length, pressing the tip to the back of his throat and taking a moment to fight off his natural gag reflex before swallowing the tip, caressing his tongue over the undersurface as he took it down. Kigaeno's lay back his head, muzzle gaping open, as his right hand grasps at Mogu's own maleness, stroking it smoothly and massaging back over his balls. Rewarding the Cleyran with a series of tight swallowing motions over his tip, Mogu began to thrust his head forward and back onto the maleness giving his Master the familiar warmth over his length, nursing at the cock for all he was worth, and growing more enthusiastic with each throb between his lips. Kigaeno moved the hand on Mogu's head down to Mogu's rump, massaging down his body, and felt the small hindquarters humping happily into the grip of his opposite hand.

Giving a token effort not to be loud enough that anyone outside of his quarters would hear him, Kigaeno grunted and tensed up, finally feeling himself spilling over the edge and letting out a squeakish purring noise. Mogu hungrily swallowed down his Master's juice, working his throat over the increasingly sensitive tip as he took every last drop of fluid into him, and slowly drew his dripping maw away from it, licking his lips clean.

Pulling Kigaeno's hand away from his own maleness with one claw, he poked his head back out from under the blanket, still licking the taste off of his maw, "Do I please Master?"

"I suppose..." Kigaeno scritched around Mogu's head, but never was a very emotional type. Mogu not having gotten off didn't really scratch his mind, and his apprentice didn't seem to mind.

"I wanted to help you." Mogu leaned forward further and kissed Kigaeno's maw once again, receiving a loving lick back when Kigaeno reached his tongue within to get some of his own flavor. "Never be afraid to ask if you need... I love you. Please never forget."

"I won't..." Kigaeno reached about behind his apprentice again, and pulled him close under the covers, sitting the small bottom comfortably against his own crotch.

"I should get the others ready for the trip now?" Mogu unconsciously wriggled his bottom against Kigaeno, and felt the moist flesh becoming hard again. "You should, but not right this moment." Kigaeno placed his hand on Mogu's rump now, giving it a slight push against himself.  
Mogu nodded, smiling a little as he reached his hand over to his robes, pulling a small glass bottle of lubricant he apparently kept with him.

Kigaeno smirked, "You started carrying it with you. Slut"

Mogu blushed, but nodded with a slight grin, offering a bit to Kigaeno sicne his own hands were hardly suited. Kigaeno moved his hand down, rubbing the lubrication over his own shaft, chrring slightly at the cool feel of it before pointing back upwards towards Mogu's tight rear entry.

Mogu leaned forward, reaching to kiss him again as he rotated his hips downward, feeling his master's cock pop into his tail hole and moaning out. Kigaeno's eyes rolled back, the tight feeling of flesh over his lubricated length relaxing him. His hands moved to grip Mogu's hips under the covers, and tugged the small male down onto him. Mogu gritted his teeth visibly, but relaxed allowing his master full entry, panting softly against Kigaeno's neck.

His hips began to move, the soft suction sound of their connection audible from under the covers as they slowly thrusted together. Kigaeno drooled across Mogu's face, relaxing more, and moving his hands to speed up the smaller male's motions. Soon Mogu was bouncing on his master's cock, heedless of the loud moans he was making as the shaft was driven repeatedly into his rear end. Mogu felt his shaft rubbing against the fur of his master's belly, and soon his noise increased as he let a load loose on his belly. One of Kigaeno's hands moved to Mogu's muzzle and clamped it shut, though that didn't do much to stiffle the noise.

Before long Kigaeno tensed up. Not one for loud noises, he grunted into Mogu's ear as his shaft throbbed and filled his subservient full. He pulled him down, sheathing himself fully against as he unloaded, then left them both panting.

A few moments later, Kigaeno spoke again, "And I just bathed.. oh well. Go get them together while I do so again"

With a nod, Mogu slowly pulled himself away, letting out another grunt as they separated. He got redressed slowly, watching his master for a moment before licking his lips as he departed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Scout Work** by Blayze Kohime 9 Sept 2004 revised 26 July 2009

Place: Kigaeno's Mountain Hideout, Cleyran ashes, North Gate  
Date: 12/13 February 1800

Characters:  
Burmecia, King  
Claire, Moon Maiden  
Cleyra, High Priest  
Kigaeno Moondancer  
Learie, burmecian refugee  
Mogu, Kigaeno's apprentice

Mogu stepped out of the front door, licking his claws on one hand and his maw idly. He looked about, spotting the King standing with the High Priest, both seeming to look up at the sun which was now rising into the sky.

"Hey 'your highnesses'." Mogu stretched out and yawned, "Master's awake and is going to scout out things a bit. You guys going to come or not?"

"Will the people be safe here with none of us here?" the king furled his brow and looked back at the short creature.

"There's no reason to think they won't be!" Mogu knew that if someone stayed behind it'd be him, and he had hoped no one would suggest one of them doing so. After a few brief moments he sighed, "Right right, I'll stay behind. Its what I do best."

The High Priest just sighed and nodded, seeming exasperated by this point. He had almost given up trying to explain to his few remaining people that they still shouldn't trust Kigaeno. Had he not, he would have argued against the apprentice being the one to stay and 'protect' everyone.

Kigaeno came out as Mogu was speaking and lay a hand on his head, giving him a somewhat condescending pat, "I trust you and will come back safely apprentice. Tell the others we'll be back by tomorrow this time at the very latest."

"And if you don't?"

Kigaeno ignored the question, he had no intentions of not coming back, making Mogu fold his arms and huff slightly, "You know normally the minion gets sent out to do things like this."

The High Priest propped himself up on his staff and went towards the chocobo stables, reluctantly, behind the much more eager King who walked beside Kigaeno. The Priest could never trust this man. In fact if not for the King going as well he'd be sure it was some sort of a trap to do him in and take his place. He was tired of hearing that Kigaeno saved them, more and more they took the side of the very one some of them had wanted gone ten years ago.

* * *

Mogu sat on the front deck on the home, arms folded and looking a bit dejected. Master was leaving him out a lot lately. He understood that these things were important, but still, he wanted to be part of the main action. Kigaeno had spoken to him of these things forever, and now here they were, and he was no part of them.

"You look almost heart broken." Learie had come up without him knowing, and the lady burmecian sat down beside him as she watched her kids playing in the distance. She habitually treated Mogu like a child because of his size, even though he certainly wasn't 'that' much shorter than them to his own eyes.

"Master has gone with the King and Priest, they will be back here by this time tomorrow." he spoke flatly, as if to ward her away.

"You feel left out? I'm sure he leaves you here for your own safety." Learie gave him a kind yet sad smile, followed by both their silence.

"He doesn't take me seriously. I'm ready for action!" Mogu finally spoke, "I will not see the humans drive another species into the ground. I will tear their cities to the ground with my bare hands before I will let them do that." he looked at the ground spitefully, "And if I can't do that then I'll die trying."

"You almost remind me of Dan.." she felt an ache of pain as she remembered how he had stood up for her and his children in Cleyra, and how he'd been charred to death by a black mage for trying. "You're the last of your kind?"

"Yes." Mogu offered no explanation.

She thought better than to ask of one, "Thank you Mogu, for staying here to protect us." with those words she stood and left him alone to stare at the ground some more.

* * *

Even from the distance it had been apparent, yet they went all the way, just to be certain of the extent. Surely enough, there was nothing left of the giant Cleyran tree but a city sized stump.

"It's gone, how could it be this complete? It was the size of a fucking mountain for crying out loud!" Kigaeno sat on his chocobo without getting off and propped his head on his hands, rubbing his forehead.

"Burmecia..." the King placed a hand on Kigaeno's shoulder from atop his own mount, "We have to check on Burmecia. We can't wait."

Kigaeno reluctantly brought his head back up, giving it another glance around, "Damnit. The sand makes it impossible to tell if there are tracks leading away... " he had no way of telling if there were additional survivors or where they would have went. "Did I say 'I told you so?' yet?"

The High Priest was silent, not answering the question Kigaeno had put to him at least a dozen times. He was staring into space as if his mind had been sucked out of him. His home, the only place he'd ever known. He'd never even been outside of it until they escaped. How could it be gone?

"Come Priest Cleyra." Kigaeno's words were sarcastic, met with a stare from the High Priest, and he turned his ride to trot off with a shake of his head.

"Priest, I sympathize with your loss, and I vow that Burmecia will do everything in its power to... but we have to move quickly. We need information." the King tried to ignore the tension between his comrads.

"You people... they are partially responsible for this!" the great priest began to loose his priestly manner.

"What?"

"They may have never came for us, they may have never even known we existed! You drew them here with your... society, your soldiers... Had you been as we.."

"Silence old man!" Kigaeno lacked the diplomatic demeanor of the King, and wasn't afraid to show it, "This is neither the time or the place. We continue now. It is up to you if you want to go with us quietly or go back to the camp." With this Kigaeno turned his ride and was followed by the King. The High Priest turned and angled his own chocobo, pondering for a moment before heading back towards the camp, a spiteful look in his eyes.

* * *

Hours later, Kigaeno and the King stood at North Gate. They had already went to Burmecia to find the city relatively ruined, though most of it still standing. It would probably be salvageable, assuming enough people survived to return and salvage it. There were no civilians there, and it would take work just to drive out the creatures that could have infested it, drawn in by the stink of corpses.

What information they'd found by stopping in villages and asking was scarce at best. Alexandria had apparently attacked Lindblum and overtaken them in a matter of a day, even faster than it'd taken them to overtake Burmecia. Afterwards the troops had withdrawn from both Burmecia and Lindblum as quickly as they came. Rumors spread of how Queen Brahne had been killed in battle, and how the new Queen wanted peace. Further rumors spread, that Alexandria itself had been destroyed by some unknown force shortly afterwards. What exactly were they dealing with? The enemy of his enemy was probably not his friend in this case.

Now standing at North Gate, it wasn't clear what had occurred. There had been some sort of a battle here recently, but there wasn't a single Burmecian soldier to be seen, so who had killed all these Alexandrians? From the looks of it, they had been killed while gathering to move back into Alexandria. Brutally so; Kigaeno had to try hard to remain serious because it made him want to smile.

The thump of feet landing behind them as they passed under the gate caused them to turn, and they had their answer for at least part of the mystery.

"Sir Fratley!" the King stated, astonished.

"Sir what?" Kigaeno had heard the name, and it was the name of one of their dragoons that had supposedly been lost years ago. He tilted his head curiously, then smirked, "Well that explains the mess..."

"I regret to inform you regent, that I have been most un diplomatic." Fratley gave a short bow, "and that I still have no memory of who you are."

"You seem to be quite efficient without it. Word of my son?" as the King spoke again Kigaeno began to feel suddenly left out of the conversation. He distracted himself instead by giving Fratley a more complete eying up. A man after his own heart perhaps? This one could be useful if such violence might be directed.

"Lord Puck made it out safely, but then went back to Alexandria and I cannot account for him after that. Kildea and a number of Cleyran civilians made it out and went towards Daguerro, so they said. Claire also made it out, and I left her in the protection of villagers. What about Miss Freya?" Fratley wondered if she had made it out or not, and hoped she did so he could ask her questions later about their past.

"Claire?" Kigaeno interjected, "The little one got out... We should go there next. We have the High Priest and other survivors at my place. We should gather everyone."

Fratley gave him a brief nod, wondering if this was someone he should remember or not.

"I have no word from Freya, she left the temple shortly before Kigaeno... portaled us to safety.." the King seemed grim.

"I saw a red clothed dragoon knight and several others escape by boarding the airships before I arrived at the temple." Kigaeno drew better attention from the other two with those words, and it seemed that there was some relief to be had amidst all this loss.

* * *

"Others?" Mogu's words to the High Priest were to the point as he approached from the chocobo stables alone. Mogu sat exactly where he had been when they'd left, though he'd been on rounds around the compound multiple times since earlier. His word was accusing.

"I left them after Cleyra to do what they will." the High Priest walked by him with no intention of talking to him.

"Coward." Mogu didn't try to hold his tongue; it wasn't like he was going to get them any more angry. He was tired of this person's attitude and of the priest's contempt for his Master.

The High Priest paused, but then continued walking to sit in the grass quietly where he had been standing before.

* * *

Claire saw the figures approaching the village from where she sat and stood up to get a better view, walking out past the front fencing as they neared. Two figures riding chocobos and one on foot. It didn't take her long to recognize the one as Sir Fratley, and one of those on chocobo as the King that had been at Cleyra. So he had found more survivors? She brightened as she walked out to meet them.

As she neared the group, she eyed the third familiar party member, wondering at where she had seen him before. She stood still, and allowed them to approach her, smiling at Fratley, "You came back!" Just as he'd promised.

"It's good to see you again Miss Claire." Fratley nodded to her and gave her a brief hug, trying to be as non intimate as possible despite the former occurrence between them.

"You've grown." it wasn't Fratley's voice that responded next, it was Kigaeno's. And with that she immediately recognized him.

"Kigaeno! You're back! What.." she leaned close as if trying to make sure it was him.

"I had to come back Claire. I looked for you but didn't find you. I'm glad you got out.." Kigaeno reached a hand out which she immediately took.

"We'll discuss things on the way back, its getting late again." the King was always wanting to get things done. He had been stagnant too long, and it was time to piece things back together.

Kigaeno pulled Claire up to ride on the back of his chocobo with him, and she seemed to glow as her mind flooded with memories of her former mentor. It seemed that her life was suddenly very full of heroes coming for her, and for a little while longer, she forgot about her problems.

Most of the trip back was spent answering Claire flurry of questions rather than make future plans. Who else had Kigeano rescued? Where had he been? What had Fratley found out? Was the High Priest also alive? The beat off the onslaught of queries the best they could, before finally she ran out of them, and for the last part of the journey everything seemed quiet.

Kigaeno felt Claire hug around him and snooze against his back, and he smiled. For once it wasn't a smirk or a wicked grin, it was just a smile of contentment. Claire's return to him was like finding a lost daughter, and he felt now that he was again part of a family. He also thought about how surprised, and pleased, she'd be to find out they had recovered the harp on their way out. She would need it, oh yes they would need it. "I hope you've been practicing Claire."

Nearly a full day after they left, they arrived back at the quiet complex. With the two new members of their group, they were now ready to begin preparations to return everyone to Burmecia. They filled with hope that others would also have made their way back, and at least one of them began his plotting as if Burmecia was to be his new base.


End file.
